DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 07/07/2008    Duedate: 07/19/2008

TOBIR ARENA

DM-14    TURN-597

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

STEWART
OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
(14-4213) [15-9-3,130]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

STEWART                        POSITION IS EMPTY
OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)        
(14-4213) [15-9-3,130]         

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

ECHANOSARAH                    MINUTE MUN
THE DOGHOUSE (188)             ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
(14-4490) [19-21-0,78]         (14-4545) [9-6-0,65]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)     31
2. ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)     28      OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
3. THE DOGHOUSE (188)           3      Unchartered Team
4. NO-HALF STEPPING (451)       1
                                       SCARLET KNIGHTS (302)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)  297 194 23 60.5   1/ 2 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)  11  4 1
 2/ 2 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)  306 232 20 56.9   2/ 1 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)   9  6 1
 3/ 3 NO-HALF STEPPING (451)    59  56  5 51.3   3/ 3 THE DOGHOUSE (188)        8  7 0
 4/ 5 THE DOGHOUSE (188)       532 619  9 46.2   4/ 4 NO-HALF STEPPING (451)    3  2 0

    '*'   Unchartered team                       '-'  Team did not fight this turn
   (###)  Avoid teams by their Team Id          ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank

                                    TEAM SPOTLIGHT

        + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #8 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

On the shores of a lake:

     Senator Sedalia and Gissanniah stood side by side on the shore and looked
around.  Across the water, along the shore each wah, at the woods behind them.
Mostly pine woods, where the forest on the Isle had been mostly broadleaf trees.
     "So, we're not on the Isle anymore, are we?"
     Sedalia shook his head.  "No.  Ah, do you feel that you should, perhaps, have a
small black dog at this point?"
     "What?"  She turned to stare at him.  "Why would I have a dog with me?"
     "Ah.  Well... just a passing thought," the senator said.  "But I do wonder if
we're still even in the same world as the Isle.  Well, we must be, so maybe I should
say, are we still in the same world as... Andor.  Iaye.  The places from which we
have come."
     "That might take some finding out."  Gissanniah looked around again, then
gestured to the left.  "Let's get moving and see what we can find out."
     Sedalia looked and shrugged.  Nothing to distinguish one direction from another,
so what difference did it make which way they went?  "Why not?" he said.

Tarrgir:

     Fandil stared at the man--he claimed to be an officer in a fire-control company-
-in shock and consternation.  "You didn't even TRY to put it out?"
     "Why should we?" the fireman answered.  "That 'military academy' was a hotbed of
beast-men and elves, agents of oppression of the true people of Convincia.  No skin
off OUR nose if they burned down."
     "But... fellow citizens of the Andorian League--"
     "That's a joke!"
     "But--"
     Lenpro put a hand on Fandil's arm.  "Leave it, my friend.  This man will have
good reasons for his position, and argument never changed anyone's mind."
     "But--"
     "The so-called 'Andorian League' is run by the elves and the beast-men," the
fireman said.  His tone was deadly serious.  "They set up a whole GUILD of spies and
assassins to enforce their rule and tried to persuade all us true humans that being
an assassin--that SCUM--was 'noble' and worthy of admiration!  What can you think
about people like that except that they're sick and wicked?"  He gestured at the
smoking remains of the military academy.  "So we're cleaning them out, and high
time."
     Fandil seemed incapable of response, which Lenpro decided was just as well.  The
old mage was a exceptionally idealistic man, and he believed in the Andorian League.
Lenpro believed in the League--or some form of union--also, but he was, he hoped,
honest enough to admit its flaws and inequities.  The League had been conceived as a
counter to the Delarquan Federation, but these days he thought people forgot that it
was not THE counter, not the only possible workable response.  And in a way, this
man's grievances were valid, or at least had elements of truth in them.  The king and
many of the highest lords had elven blood, a lot of it in some cases, and the Aruaki
did seem to be, at the least, very prominent in the military, besides occupying a
large and fertile territory within the League lands.  Add to that the Assassins'
Guild, the blackest blot on the Andorian culture, and he could see how it would look
to a normal human who spent most of his time working on a farm.  And with the total
disinterest shown by the king and the central government in recent problems....  He
sighed.  "I see where you're coming from," he said to the fireman, "but I don't think
the violence of your actions is going to do you much good in the long run."  He held
up his hand to stop the man's protest.  "In the end, violence may be necessary--who
can tell UNTIL the end?  But this is the beginning, and it's a bad precedent to set.
People will see this as bloody rebellion rather than rational protest."
     "The only people we care about are--"
     "What if the Delarquans or the Karnhorns come pouring over the borders to 'quell
turmoil that might spill over into their lands'?" Lenpro asked.  "If you've destroyed
the military, who will you call on for defense?"
     "Oh."  The fireman was silent for several minutes, obviously considering the new
angle.  Eventually he said, "We don't need to worry about the Delarquans, they'd have
to come through Ardivent and the Aruaki Clanholds to reach us.  But the Karnhorns...
might be a problem.  Huh.  Maybe we'd better think about this."
     "Do," Lenpro said.  "And remember that you COULD turn on your Aruaki and elven
allies later and destroy them--an act worthy of any assassin!  But if you destroy
them first, they'll never be allies."
     "We'll think about this," the fireman said again.
     "Do."  Lenpro took Fandil's arm and drew him away before he could make any of
the protests that were visibly forming in his mind.

Andor:

     Herlas cast his spell of convincing illusion on the golem-king, and it was a
good one if he said so himself.  Not that he would say it; for the first time in a
life that had contained many questionable and self-serving acts, he was deeply
ashamed of his work.  He wasn't sure why; he was not, after all, some kind of wild
patriot.  Was he?  Why had Korneth insisted on parading this fake king through the
streets of Andor?  Herlas had to be part of the parade in order to stay close to the
target for his spell, and it made him uncomfortable.  People lined the streets, but
there was no cheering.  No catcalls, either, just sober silence.  Or sullen silence.
Maybe some of them did believe they were seeing the king, but that didn't make them
happy.  The king was a stranger, hadn't been in Andor for years, and had done nothing
for 'his' country during those years.  Why should they be glad to see him?
     The golem rode in a carriage, waving occasionally but attempting nothing more.
Herlas had advised that minimalist stance; the golem just wouldn't have been
convincing if it had tried to smile.  Odd, really.  There were plenty of golems
around these days that couldn't be told from true-born people, so why hadn't Korneth
gotten one of the better ones?  Did he WANT to be found out?
     "That is not the king."  The voice was low, positive, dangerous.
     Herlas's hands twitched on the reins of the horse he was riding just behind the
carriage, but he managed (he hoped) a suitably casual air as he glanced to the side.
Damn.  Lady Protector Sir Crystal Fireblade, a royal knight.  He hadn't realized she
was in town.  Did Korneth know?  More important, what was he, Herlas, going to do?
The lady knight had a formidable reputation and had been pledged to serve the king
directly as his protector.  Hundreds of different calculations of the odds of this or
that tumbled through the mage's brain.  Finally he shrugged.  "No.  I argued against
this display, but..."
     "Where IS the king?"
     "I don't know.  I asked, early on.  Didn't get a clear answer, and... it was
made clear to me that I shouldn't ask again."
     A faint, ladylike snort.  "Probably not."  She was silent for a moment.  "I went
with the king to the Isle--some time ago.  He vanished.  Completely vanished.  I have
been hunting for him since then, on the Isle and in other places that can be reached
from there.  At first, there were rumors that he might have passed through.  Nothing
I could trace.  Then fewer rumors, then none.  Finally I came back."  Her voice was
bitter, and still dangerous.
     "I have heard some people say--whisper--that the king has sought his own
happiness in some other dimension where he can still have his princess wife with
him," Herlas offered.
     "If that should be true, I think the less of him for it," she snapped.  "It
isn't a king's business to seek his own happiness, especially at the expense of his
responsibilities to his people."
     Herlas did not say that such a sense of responsibility was hard to imagine.
Once it would have been, but lately he was beginning to wonder.  Still, if the king
truly was gone--or dead--and without heirs, what was there left?  "What do you
propose to do?" he asked.
     "It was not the king's intention to abandon Andoria, on that last trip to the
Isle," she said slowly.  "Mind you don't let your illusion slip!"
     Herlas adjusted it hastily.
     "So I think someone persuaded him--I do not know what means might have been
used, but it could have been done, I think--and whisked him away.  That person, I
will find."  Her hand clenched on the reins of her mount.  "Oh, yes, I will find him.
Or HER, if it was--"
     It was Herlas's turn to give warning.  The Grey Witch had ears everywhere.  "Do
not mention that person!"
     She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.  "Yes.  No names without proof."
     "And no vengeance without proof."  Gods, the irony that HE, Herlas of Zensu,
should be the one to argue prudence and fair dealing!  "And what good will it do
Andoria, when your vengeance has fallen on the deserving party?"
     "What?"
     "Who will be king then?  Or will the League fall apart and be subject to the
attacks of its neighbors--many of whom do not love it."
     "I hadn't thought beyond--  I don't know who will take the throne," the lady
knight said.  After a moment, she added, "We're facing a civil war, aren't we?"
     "I think so, yes.  That is why, one reason why, I have gone along with this
travesty."  He gestured at the golem.  "It buys a little time."

      * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *

                          ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 297): UNHOLY TERROR of BLOOD RITES (Wretch, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): CHIEF SITTING BULL of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 596): STEWART of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 589): DONDRIC of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 585): MORLIN POOLE of KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 585): KEG STAND of BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 582): IRIS of MENAGERIE (Ichabod Frothingslosh, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 578): WORLD CHUMPS of THE A'S -- LOSERS II (Malaquar, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 547): POSITION IS EMPTY
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 538): RAMBLING OX of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 529): GODZILLA of THE BEARS II (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 245): PAINFUL PANSY of FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 431): DIMAGGIO oF 1949 YANKEES (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 198): TRYPTOPHAN of SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 481): AXLY HIMSELF of GERFEL'S FRIENDS (Generalissimo Puerco)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 297): CONSANGUINEOUS (Mannequin, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 586): POSITION IS EMPTY
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 589): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 585): MEDAL OF HONOR F3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 585): BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 582): ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 578): RED DOG GANG (Jojra, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 547): MEDAL OF HONOR G1 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 538): MEDAL OF HONOR H3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 529): DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 245): BLOOD AND GUTS! (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 431): 1949 YANKEES (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 198): THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 481): SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                   ----------------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 296): HAMMURABI of SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): CHIEF SITTING BULL of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
                               DELIA'S GONE of ELFQUEST (Armalias, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 578): WORLD CHUMPS of THE A'S -- LOSERS II (Malaquar, mgr.)
                         WINDSONG of RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 547): PARTICLE MAN of NEUROMANCERS (Rude Buddha, mgr.)

                                      SPY REPORT

     It's me, The Unknown Spymaster, back to give you this week's Spy Report.  Sit 
back in your seats and we'll have more fun than a barrel of Zontanis.  Say good-bye 
to OTAGO HIGHLANDERS, as they are pushed from the coveted top team spot by the ALL 
THE MUN'S MEN stable.  Hey everybody, watch out for DALMORE, who flew up 16 points in 
the rankings after mashing TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE like a melon.  Keep your eye on this 
guy.  And falling like a basher in the top ten was ECHANOSARAH, who dropped 13 points 
after a disappointing (to say the least) bout with NOBLE ASSASSIN.  Going for the 
gusto and coming up with aught but bloody knuckles was NO-HALF STEPPING's LRB, who 
was turned away from the Duelmastership by STEWART.  Can you believe they are paying 
me 10 gold to deliver this stuff?   
     But enough of that bunch, let's get on to the wimps who like to avoid battle!   
     Death is kind of like a new puppy:  he's always around wanting to play.  (Ha 
Zontani, how's that for a wise saying?).  It's not often when you see a 6-3-0 warrior 
like MISS MUTT kick the bucket.  I wonder if THE DOGHOUSE will recover from the blow. 
And who needs the Dark Arena if you've got WESTON around?  This week he decorated his 
armor with MISS MUTT.  Who's next?  Knowing when to use the right tactics at the 
proper time is a very important step on the road to Duelmaster.   
     Well, that wasn't too bad; Alarond told me that the people in TOBIR have no 
sense of humor.  Or maybe that they were senseless.  Okay, so I may not be the 
world's best comedian, but then you guys aren't the world's best warriors.  Hasta la 
bye-bye.  (Loud choruses of 'Beat it, ya bum!')-- The Unknown Spymaster  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 STEWART 4213                 15   9  3   130       OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 GINKOR 4515                  19  12  0   100       THE DOGHOUSE (188)
 WESTON 4137                  17  11  3   100       OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
 WHOLE MUTT 4516              16  15  0    91       THE DOGHOUSE (188)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 LRB 4488                     11  10  0    87       NO-HALF STEPPING (451)
 ECHANOSARAH 4490             19  21  0    78       THE DOGHOUSE (188)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 LITTLE BIG MUN 4559           7   0  0    66       ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
 MINUTE MUN 4545               9   6  0    65       ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
 GEORGE FOREMUN 4187          13   9  0    60       ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 MUN OVER BOARD 4219          12   6  1    52       ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
 MR FANG 4550                  6   4  0    45       THE DOGHOUSE (188)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 TWO BUCK CHUCK 4558           3   0  0    33       NO-HALF STEPPING (451)
 RAIN MUN 4561                 3   0  1    28       ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
 BOMBAY 4519                   3  18  0    27       OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 ANZAC 4560                    3   3  0    21       OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
 DALMORE 4563                  1   0  0    16       OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
-CODECRACKER 4518              2   4  0    10       NO-HALF STEPPING (451)
-BIGGER THOMAS 4532            0   1  0     3       NO-HALF STEPPING (451)

'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
TRUSTWORTHY SCRI        0  0 0                      RAIN MUN 4561         597  NONE
MISS MUTT 4557          6  3 0 THE DOGHOUSE 188     WESTON 4137           597   

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Stewart -- Ah, so macho! -- Echanosarah

A Noble Assassin?  As if!  And not much of a gladiator, either. -- Ginkor

Weston -- I suppose you prefer some kind of pedigreed poodless, don't you? -- Miss
Mutt

Minute Mun -- I was hoping for a wiener mun, but I can make do with what appears.
Adaptable, that's me. -- Whole Mutt

Little Big Mun -- (shocked look)  Give them back!  You can't seriously be considering
a necklace of dog teeth?  It will do nothing for your image.  Dog teeth are only
inpressive when in the dog's mouth. -- Mr Fang

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

STEWART devastated LRB in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight.
GINKOR vanquished VIRGINAL CONCUBINE in a 1 minute uneven battle.
ECHANOSARAH was subdued by NOBLE ASSASSIN in a 1 minute uneven fight.
WHOLE MUTT unbelievably bested MINUTE MUN in a 2 minute gory contest.
WESTON assassinated MISS MUTT in a 1 minute mismatched match.
LITTLE BIG MUN devastated DELARQUAN SAILOR in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
GEORGE FOREMUN bested CIVILIZED CRIMINAL in a crowd pleasing 1 minute bloody match.
MUN OVER BOARD defeated DELARQUAN SAILOR in a 1 minute expert vs. beginner melee.
MR FANG vanquished ANZAC in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
TWO BUCK CHUCK won victory over BOMBAY in a 2 minute duel.
RAIN MUN assassinated TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
DALMORE overcame TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a exciting 1 minute novice's bout.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   6         PARRY-STRIKE       3 -   0 -  1     100  |
|AIMED BLOW                       2         WALL OF STEEL     13 -   3 -  0      81  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  2         TOTAL PARRY       12 -   6 -  0      67  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    2         STRIKING ATTACK    4 -   2 -  0      67  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      1         SLASHING ATTACK   14 -   8 -  1      64  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         BASHING ATTACK     7 -   4 -  2      64  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  1         PARRY-LUNGE        6 -   4 -  0      60  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   1         AIMED BLOW         6 -   4 -  0      60  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      1         LUNGING ATTACK    30 -  32 -  1      48  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      1 -   2 -  0      33  |

Turn 597 was great if you     Not so great if you used      The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles:     the fighting styles:          top eleven warriors are:

PARRY-LUNGE        1 -  0     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  0         5  LUNGING ATTACK 
PARRY-STRIKE       1 -  0                                       1  SLASHING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK    1 -  0                                       1  BASHING ATTACK 
BASHING ATTACK     1 -  0                                       1  TOTAL PARRY    
TOTAL PARRY        1 -  0                                       1  AIMED BLOW     
AIMED BLOW         1 -  1                                       1  WALL OF STEEL  
LUNGING ATTACK     3 -  3                                       1  PARRY-LUNGE    
SLASHING ATTACK    1 -  1     
WALL OF STEEL      1 -  1     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
SLASHING ATTACK  STEWART 4213               15   9  3  130 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
LUNGING ATTACK   GINKOR 4515                19  12  0  100 THE DOGHOUSE (188)

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
BASHING ATTACK   WESTON 4137                17  11  3  100 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
TOTAL PARRY      WHOLE MUTT 4516            16  15  0   91 THE DOGHOUSE (188)
AIMED BLOW       LRB 4488                   11  10  0   87 NO-HALF STEPPING (451)
WALL OF STEEL    LITTLE BIG MUN 4559         7   0  0   66 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423)
PARRY-LUNGE      MR FANG 4550                6   4  0   45 THE DOGHOUSE (188)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is ECHANOSARAH 4490.  The most popular warrior this 
turn was MINUTE MUN 4545.  The ten other most popular fighters were BOMBAY 4519, 
STEWART 4213, GEORGE FOREMUN 4187, MUN OVER BOARD 4219, DALMORE 4563, GINKOR 4515, 
WHOLE MUTT 4516, WESTON 4137, LITTLE BIG MUN 4559, and MR FANG 4550.

The least popular fighter this week was ANZAC 4560.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were MISS MUTT 4557, LRB 4488, RAIN MUN 4561, ECHANOSARAH 4490, TWO BUCK 
CHUCK 4558, MR FANG 4550, LITTLE BIG MUN 4559, WESTON 4137, WHOLE MUTT 4516, and 
GINKOR 4515.

The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn:

STEWART (14-4213) OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348)
GINKOR (14-4515) THE DOGHOUSE (188)